Clandestine
by Nihlism
Summary: Slash. AU. What would happen if things turned out differently in the beginning? What if Hagrid had not left Harry alone at the train station and had actually helped him to the train instead of the Weasley family? Year one.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Clandestine

**Rating: **T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

**Warnings: **Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

_Prologue_

A young boy was sleeping peacefully nestled snugly in his oversized bed, while hundreds of miles away, another young boy was quietly counting the number of spiders he felt crawl over the back of his hand in the dark cupboard where he lived.

Draco Malfoy was the son of two aristocratic parents, brought up having anything and everything he could ever desire, except the unconditional love of his father. Harry Potter was the son of two aurors whom were killed shortly after his first birthday. He was brought to live with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, who were not fond of the quiet boy. They gave him the castoff clothes of his oversized cousin Dudley and made him sleep in the cupboard under the stairs.

These two boys, whose lives were so dramatically different, were going to find some very interesting things about themselves within the week before their eleventh birthday. Things that showed they have a lot more in common than one might think. Both boys were about to receive letters by owl post informing them of the acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Both boys were, in fact, wizards and very powerful ones at that. A fact that young Harry was completely oblivious to in his dark cupboard.

Informed his parents were killed in a terrible car wreck, Harry was brought up to believe he was a normal English boy, incapable of anything special whatsoever. His aunt and uncle were so terrified of magic, that they chose to simply ignore that it existed and did everything in their power to ensure Harry never learned of its existence. He always wondered why certain things would happen when he was very sad or angry, but never in all the wild things he could imagine, would he have come to the conclusion that he was capable of magic. That letter would explain all the things in Harry's life, all except why his family treated him so horribly and why, above all else, his parents had to die before he even knew them.

Draco, however, was very aware of his magical abilities because his parents had instilled the ideals and "requirements" of being a pure blooded wizard into him since he was a very small child. He was a child who had many expectations placed on him by his parents, expectations he was currently unaware of and that would drastically change his life and how he views people around him forever. However, at the moment he was just wonderfully excited at the prospect of finally going to school at the very same place his parents had attended. One of Draco's greatest faults, he would soon learn, was how much he idolized his father. But for now, his excitement could not be dampened.


	2. Chapter One: Harry Potter

**Title:** Clandestine

**Rating: **T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

**Warnings: **Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

_Chapter One: Harry Potter_

A harsh tapping on the window in the kitchen woke Harry from the restless sleep he had slipped into. With a start he realized that whatever had made that noise had probably woke his aunt and uncle. The telltale stomping down the stairs confirmed his fears and with a sinking feeling, he knew he'd get blamed...somehow.

"_BOY!_" was all the warning he got before the door to his cupboard was wrenched open, exposing the very angry and very purple face of his uncle. "What the devil is wrong with you?! Where in that demented little skull of yours did you come up with the idea to wake the whole bloody house?!" his uncle roared, spraying Harry with bits of spit. "It wasn't me!" Harry yelled back. He knew it was useless, that his uncle would never believe him, but he had to try. However, he knew it had angered him further when he saw the vein throbbing angrily in his uncle's forehead. He watched, in fear, as his uncle's face turned more purple than thought possible. If he didn't know any better, and had he never seen it numerous times before, he would have sworn the man was suffocating.

Vernon opened his mouth to yell more insults and obscenities at Harry when, after a deafening crash, he was promptly knocked to his rather generous backside by a flurry of feathers that had smacked right into his face. "What the bloody hell was that?!" Vernon yelled from his place on the floor. Petunia however had thrown herself in front of Dudley as a makeshift shield from the intrusion. The cause was lost however, as Petunia was a terribly thin woman, roughly a ruler width across and Dudley was approximately the size of a baby elephant by comparison. If he hadn't been so interested in the mass of feathers on the floor, he might just have died laughing.

"Mummy! It's a bird! Get it out, get it out!" Dudley screamed from behind his mother. "It's not an insect! It must have just gotten lost in the dark!" Harry reasoned. A small gasp was heard and when everyone turned to look for the source, they found Petunia looking ghostly pale. "It's an owl, Vernon." Vernon, once realizing what that implied, topped trying to get up from the ground and looked at his wife in sheer terror. Meanwhile, Dudley was too busy trying to become a part of the wall to notice the fear reflected in his parent's eyes, but Harry saw it just before they cleared their expressions and became instantly curious. Realizing he wasn't going to get any information from them, he turned back to the owl on the ground. "Hey! It's holding something. It looks like an envelope." He said as he started walking toward it. He was nearly to it when the hand of his uncle snapped out and snatched it up having finally been heaved to his feet by his wife. "What have I told you about touching things that aren't yours?" His uncle snapped looking perturbed. Slightly annoyed by his uncles words as well as not getting a hold of the envelope that was now crushed in his uncle's fat hand.

"Who's it for then Daddy?" Dudley asked with unabashed curiosity. "It was brought here by an owl Duddy dear; it's not addressed to anybody. Things only come with addresses when brought by post." Petunia hastily told him. "Your mum's right Dudley, it's just a scrap of paper it must have picked up from a rubbish bin." Vernon continued. "Daddy is going to throw it away," here she threw a meaningful look at Vernon "and we're all going to get back to bed as we have a very special day tomorrow, don't we Dudders?" Petunia cooed as she herded Dudley toward the stairs and shot a venomous glare at Harry as if daring him to argue. Sighing heavily in defeat, knowing he would get nothing more than that, he walked back to his cupboard and shut the door rather loudly behind him to signify that he was, in fact, in his place. He sat in the darkness and listened as well as he could over the earthshaking footsteps of his cousin going up the stairs to his room. And with all his efforts, he could still only make out faint whispers from the foot of the stairs.

"...it's addressed to him!"

"Cupboard under the...how'd they know..."

"Petunia, calm down...it's..."

At that point Harry could hear no more because they had moved upstairs during the conversation and shut their bedroom door. Harry sat on his pitiful excuse for a bed, thinking about what he had seen and heard. It was after about 45 minutes of strenuous thought to connect any of it, that he realized they hadn't locked his cupboard door. Nudging it slightly with his foot confirmed this as the door gently swung open. Silently, celebrating his stroke of luck, he carefully pushed the door open the rest of the way and crept to the kitchen. Looking in the refrigerator for something to quiet his loudly grumbling stomach, he made himself a roast beef sandwich, mindlessly staring off into space as he did so. He had made so many of these for Dudley, that he could probably do it in his sleep anyway. Bringing his eyes back into focus, he realized he had been staring, not into blank space as he had initially believed, but at the envelope from the owl. It was addressed, as his aunt and uncle had pointed out, to him.

Mr. Harry J Potter

The Cupboard Under The Stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging, Surrey

He stared at the address in confusion, wondering how whoever wrote the letter knew where he was sleeping, let alone why they'd even be writing him a letter in the first place. But he found the answer to why when he reached over and tore open the letter. Poring over it, his mouth dropped open in shock and he almost screamed with delight. He was a wizard! All the weird things that he'd done _were_ normal! He was going to get away from the Dursleys house! Harry was so overcome with emotion; he nearly choked on his sandwich. He hastily finished the food, gulped down a glass of juice to help with swallowing it, and then grabbed some paper and began copying both pages in the envelope word for word. Once he had copies of it, he carefully stuck it back into the envelope (which had been copied as well) and set it back on the counter as precisely as he found it originally as he could. He noticed the wax seal closure on the back and, deciding to be brave, peeled it off and took it as well. He then made sure there was no evidence of him being out and crept back to the cupboard to fall asleep for the night. It would be the best night's sleep he'd gotten in all his life. He actually belonged somewhere and that was the most comforting thought as his mind drifted off into blessed nothingness. It wouldn't be for 3 more days that anything else happened. And the next attempt to contact Harry would be something that even the Dursleys couldn't ignore.

The next morning, Harry was awoken by a machine gun rhythm being beat on his door. "Wake up you useless little twit, _wake up!_" His aunt hollered at him as she walked back into the kitchen. Faintly, Harry could hear Dudley wining about presents and then even more insistently, how hungry he was. "Where's breakfast?" He demanded. "It ran away." Harry shot back as he entered the kitchen. "Watch your mouth boy. I'm warning you." His uncle seethed. After muttering a barely audible sorry in the direction of the refrigerator, he set to the task of making breakfast for the little rhinoceros at the table. "We're going to the zoo today, isn't that lovely honey?" Petunia simpered at her son. A noncommittal grunt was all she received as both Dudley and Vernon were entirely too interested in the show on television to notice anything else around them. Harry looked disgustedly at the piles of wrapping paper and all the gifts laying about on the floor and table, soon to be broken and disregarded by his cousin, if they weren't there already. _Why on Earth does anybody need 36 gifts from only two people?_ He thought bitterly. He wasn't jealous per se, just annoyed that even with that many, Dudley was not content. He had the nerve to ask for more and that is what made Harry resent his cousin even more. Harry himself didn't get a single decent gift on his birthday (a coat hanger one year!) and yet he did not ever complain. He knew that it would do no good, although for Dudley, it meant an additional two gifts that year. _Spoiled little boy is what he is. Doesn't know a single thing about wanting. He could have the entire world and still want more!_ He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of Vernon hollering about the whereabouts of the bacon and eggs. "They're coming! I can't speed up the cooking process you know." Harry responded bitterly. "Don't you get smart with me boy." Was the response he received. _Somebody ought to, because you certainly aren't doing it yourself._ He quietly served up the breakfast while his thoughts kept along the same track. Dudley complained about not having enough food in front of him which prompted Harry to put the skillet on the table in front of him. When he received a glare from his aunt for his trouble, he smiled sweetly, said "Wouldn't want Dudley to go hungry, would we?" and promptly climbed back into his cupboard.

The zoo was more fun than Harry had expected, only because while there, he could get away from the Dursleys at least a bit. And he could sympathize with the creatures there as well. Being locked up in a too small cage, expected to flourish in such a harsh captivity was no way to live. He looked longingly at them as they returned the look back to him. After watching the glass on a snake encasement get harassed by Dudley and Vernon's incessant knocking and tapping, he walked over just in time to hear the poor reptile get hollered at to move and, upon seeing it was going to do exactly the opposite, they both walked away. Harry looked at the snake, sleeping somewhat peacefully on the rock in its habitat. "I bet that gets annoying, people pressing their ugly faces against the glass and hollering at you, doesn't it?" He asked the snake, obviously not expecting a response. The snake lifted its head slightly and regarded Harry with curiosity. Before he could question this strange occurrence, his aunt yelled to him that it was 'time to go now and that he had better hurry up'. Sighing miserably, Harry walked towards the Dursleys and Piers, the friend of Dudley's that accompanied them on their outing. After shooting a glare at him for holding everyone up, Vernon led them all back to the car for a return trip home that could not pass by quickly enough for Harry. Continuously being poked and prodded by Dudley and Piers (he was of course stuck in the middle seat) the entire car ride made Harry want to scream, but each time he made some kind of complaint, he'd receive a stern glare from Vernon. Understanding that nothing he did was going to stop the teasing, he sat in a moody silence until they got home. Once home, he went straight to his cupboard and slammed the door, refusing to come out until the next morning. Even then, he only came out long enough to cook the meals required of him before retiring back to his cupboard for the duration of the day. Sleeping fitfully, dreams of talking snakes and nightmares of having the snot beat out of him by Dudley and his friends, the night seemed like it would never end for poor Harry. So when yet another disturbance occurred one morning at number 4 Privet Drive, he welcomed it heartily.

Rubeus Hagrid was not a small man by any stretch of the imagination. Standing at a towering 8 feet, no man would dare challenge him in a fight. Not a physical one anyway. Half giant he may be, but he was anything but vicious and cruel. Kind hearted with a soft spot for animals and dangerous beasts alike, he was a man who looked far more dangerous and grizzly than he truly was. Standing in front of number 4, he was roughly 6 inches taller than the very door frame he intended to walk through. Ignoring the obvious obstacle, he knocked on the door a little harder than he had meant, knocking it clean off its hinges with an earsplitting boom. Rather embarrassed, he let himself in and picked the door up and placed it back on its hinges. When he turned back toward the sitting room, he saw the most mismatched family he'd ever encountered. A grotesquely fat boy flanked protectively by two very frightened parents; a very fat man and a pitifully thin woman. Peeking around a cupboard door behind them was a messy head of black hair hiding the face of a very small boy. A small boy that could only be the son of James Potter and eyes lit like emeralds that could only have come from Lily.

"Harry?" Hagrid asked the boy. He watches as his eyes got wide and he came a bit further out of the cupboard to look at Hagrid more fully, curiously. "How do you know my name?" He asked quietly. "Blimey Harry! Evry'body at Hogwarts knows yer name!" Hagrid replied aghast. _Did this boy really not know anything about who he is?_ He could not seem to comprehend how the boy everyone in the wizarding world knew about, didn't even know _himself._ "I understand the part about Hogwarts, but why would everyone there know me? I'm just one person." He asked, obviously confused. "Here, come wi' me ter get the things on yer list an' I'll explain ev'reythin' ter ya." Hagrid replied, hoping it would get Harry to agree because the glares of Vernon and Petunia were starting to make him uneasy. These people just gave him a bad feeling. "Come with you? Where? I don't even know you – I've only just met you! I am curious yes, but I – " here Hagrid cut him off with a simple raise of his giant hand. "Calm yerself Harry. I don't wanna hurt ya lad. I'm here ter help ya." He finished. Harry looked as though he was considering what Hagrid had said, when suddenly, a look of realization came across his face. _If I leave with him, I'll be away from the Dursleys for at least a day!_ Completely forgetting his initial fears of leaving with the towering half-giant, Harry excitedly ran to his cupboard to put on his trainers and hurried to the front door, out of which Hagrid was quickly inching. Once out on the street, Harry realized that the only car in sight was that of the Dursleys. "Um, Hagrid? How're we getting to where we're going?" He asked, still searching the street pointlessly for some sign of his car. "The Knight Bus o'course!" Hagrid responded jovially as he stuck out a rather dirty and worn pink umbrella. "Best way ter get 'round in London, it is!"

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**Author's Note: **I _might_ rewrite this later on, but for now I'm pretty content with it. I don't have a beta, so please let me know of any mistakes/inconsistencies that you find :) If you'd like to become a beta, please send me an email and I'd be happy to have you. :)


	3. Chapter Two: Draco Malfoy

**Title:** Clandestine

**Rating: **T [or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow]. Rated for language and certain content.

**Warnings: **Slash [Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely] and Bad writing ;]

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :] So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :]

Clandestine

_Chapter Two: Draco Malfoy_

Beautiful sprawling staircases walled by works of art and statues alike, winding their way through an expansive elegant mansion that seemed to go on for miles, was not what one wished to encounter at 7 o'clock in the morning when they only desire a chair and some breakfast. Draco Malfoy, one of the richest wizards in the entire world, was a very unhappy little boy. Grumbling incoherently all the way from his room to the dining area, he even managed to hurt the feelings of some very distinguished portraits. "Same to you, runt!" was hollered back at him a fair amount of his journey. Dragging his slippered feet further along, moaning disdainfully, he sees it in the distance. The most beautiful thing he has ever seen [this morning, of course!]. _Chair!_ Mustering the very last of his energy, he breaks into a run. Falling into his chair, exhausted, he finally takes notice of the rooms other occupants. A very concerned looking Narcissa and a little green house elf. "Draco, honey, are you alright? You look like death." was his greeting. He tried to counter with what would have been a very derisive snort [one of his best, no doubt], but was stopped unceremoniously by one very stuffed nose. Coughing pitifully, he pressed his forehead onto the table top. "Fine. Gimme food." Lifting his head slowly, he nearly squealed with joy at the piping hot bowl of soup sitting in front of him. "That's it; I will be informing your father that you will not be going to Diagon Alley today. It will simply have to wait." Not feeling up to arguing, he just nodded. Getting up and placing a gentle kiss to his temple, Narcissa left him alone to finish up. _Of all the bloody days to get sick, it has to be today! Why in Merlin's name could it not have been tomorrow?_ Glaring angrily at nothing in particular, the gloomy thoughts continued all the way back to his room until he was peacefully sleeping in his bed.

This continued on for no less than three days. Draco was becoming quite impatient and had demanded a potion more than a few times. He still wasn't sure why they wouldn't give him one, as they had his whole life. "Why the hell not?" he roared at his mother. "Don't take that tone with your mother, Draco. I will not be as forgiving." came the cool reply behind him. "They will not coddle you with potions every time you are sick at Hogwarts. You need to be prepared to 'tough it out'." The look upon Draco's face clearly stated this was not the response he was looking for. In fact, it could be considered quite the opposite. "'Tough it out'? *cough* Why would I need to do that at a _wizarding_ school? Shouldn't they have those things stocking the cupboards by the _hundreds_?" Face flushed and his breathing shallow, he welcomed the chair shoved behind him along with what had to have been his twentieth bowl of soup this week. _Mental note: Have Dobby informed that people can eat things besides soup when sick._ "Calm down, Draco. I won't tell you again." was all the reply he needed to pout and carefully begin eating. "If you're not well by tomorrow, we will have to go out whether you are or not. We're simply running out of time to wait this out." _Finally!_ With that, his father swept gracefully out of the room, once again reminding Draco why he looked up to the man so much. _Someday, that will be me._

Light. Bright, painful light. Shining directly into some very sleepy eyes. A groan of disdain. A light chuckle. "Dun laugh at meh." "Draco, my boy, you are a terrible excuse for a morning person." Severus' deep voice made Draco smile slightly. He had always loved the sound of his Godfathers voice, as it always made him feel better no matter how rotten his day had been. "You're one to talk. Don't you spend all your time in a dungeon, fearing light and living creatures?" Another light chuckle. "Certainly you must know that it's quite the opposite. I spend all my time in a dungeon with light and living creatures fearing me." At this, Draco burst into a rather painful fit of giggles, littered with coughing. "Tsk, tsk. I can't believe I'm to take you out in this condition." A cool hand rested against his forehead. "You are terribly warm. Very well, we will go later on this afternoon. Sleep until I come back for you." Draco however, had fallen asleep halfway through the instruction. Hearing the soft snoring coming from the lump in the bed, Severus smiled slightly and made his way out of the room.

As he entered the sitting room, he was greeted by Lucius' cool voice. "Severus, have a seat. I need to talk to you about Draco. The Dark Lord approached me this weekend about him. He has you as a spy on Dumbledore, but he is lacking a competent spy amongst the students. He thinks Draco would be more than capable to fulfill the role, and to do it right." Severus had remained silent, staring at Lucius with a blank look on his face.

"Will he become a Death Eater, and at such a young age?"

"Of course not, he wouldn't take the mark before the age of seventeen, but he believes he could still report incidents and talk to me. Performing duties does not require one to have a mark upon their arm. It simply requires the right mindset and a little bit of guidance."

"Lucius, you cannot believe this is the best thing for Draco."

"If he doesn't agree to do this, the Dark Lord will become suspicious as to why he's refused. Not only that, but he may very well try to force him."

"It's too dangerous, and you know it! Just look at the hardships and heartbreak it has caused us and our families. You want to bring that down upon Draco?"

"If he is to marry Pansy Parkinson, he will need to join. Peter wants his daughter to marry into money _and_ power. Without the Dark Lord, we only have money. That will not be enough. They can get money anywhere. But the power that we possess is rivaled by no one."

"That's not true, and if you believe it is, I have lost my faith in you Lucius. The Malfoy name alone signifies power. Long before a young muggle-born wizard named Tom Riddle ever fell into his power. The Lucius Malfoy that I have known for so many years would never admit that one man held all of his power. So don't you try to make that argument to me. And you know damn well that the Parkinson family is neutral in this godforsaken war! Stop lying to yourself and wake up!" Severus heaved a heavy sigh. " I would like you to at least let Draco look at both sides of the coin and formulate his own opinions on the matter. For his sake, as well as your own, I firmly believe that would be for the best. This is not a decision that you should be making for him, regardless of whether you're his father or not."

"Severus. I love you as if you were my own brother, but I simply cannot allow you to tell me how to raise **my** son. I—"

"Then why did you make me his bloody Godfather, Lucius? So that I would blindly protect him from whatever you needed me to? Remain quiet and agree with whatever you think is best for the boy? I can't do it, Lucius. I will not idly sit by and not tell you how I feel, especially on something as life changing as this is!"

"No. I made you his Godfather because I trust your judgment on matters of impor—"

"Like hell do you trust me! If you did, we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place! I'm trying to protect him from a life wrought with danger and you're trying to throw him into the snake pit headfirst!"

Several hours passed in much the same way, when he finally checked the time. "If Draco and I are to get his shopping done before the school year begins, we'll need to go now. We can continue this at a later time." And with that, Severus rose and glided up the stairs toward Draco's room. Still fuming about his argument with Lucius, he took a moment outside of the room to clear his head. It would do Draco no good if he was to spend the day with an unsettled Severus. Not many survived that adventure unscathed. When he finally swung to door open, the sight that greeted him immediately caused the reserved man to burst into a rather uncharacteristic fit of laughter. There was Draco, still fast asleep. However, only his lower half was still on his bed. He had somehow managed to bend himself over the edge of the bed, with his head resting inches from the floor. It took a good five minutes to regain his composure, but finally Severus was able to wake the young boy. "Draco, son, wake up. We need to head out now, and we most certainly can't do so in your position." Hearing that comforting voice once more, Draco slowly cracked open his eyes. With a small squeak of surprise, he fell unceremoniously to the floor in tangled mess of blankets and pajamas. Unable to control himself, Severus was once again overtaken by a fit of laughter. Growling a very pitiful "Get out", Draco began carefully extracting himself from the mess to begin preparing for their outing. With only a couple dizzy spells and precarious wobbling, Draco managed to get himself presentable and stumbled down the stairs to meet his Godfather. "Are you going to be able to floo without vomiting on me, my boy?" Severus teased. "Shu'up. Let's get this over with." Was Draco's curt reply. And in a flash of green flames, they were off.

**Authors Note:** I really don't like how short this chapter is, but unfortunately, it is what it is. Next chapter is Diagon Alley, and I promise it won't take me 2 years to get it out this time! *giggles* Clandestine is back in full swing, and I hope you guys like it. Reviews get you love and hugs, constructive criticism is appreciated too. :]


	4. Chapter Three: A Chance Meeting

Title: Clandestine

Rating: T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

Warnings: Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

Chapter Three: A Chance Meeting

The Leaky Cauldron was a very strange place. At first glance, it seemed seedy and unkempt. But as Harry passed through, he began to notice little details that made it appear much more welcoming than one might think. Although, some of the patrons were not terribly easy on the eyes. Willing himself not to stare, Harry quietly followed Hagrid out into a damp alley and came face to face with a rather solid brick wall. He watched Hagrid who simply stared at the wall, idly running his fingers over the handle of the worn umbrella. Several moments passed before Hagrid finally reached up and tapped the end of the umbrella against some of the bricks. Once the last brick was touched, the bricks began to warp and slide themselves away, forming an archway into the heart of Diagon Alley.

The chaos surrounding him was deafening and immediately he was struck with the fear that he was going to get lost. In a fit of panic, he immediately whirled around to run back through the archway, only to smack right into the stomach of his very large companion. "Ho' there, Harry! You okay?" The concern in the man s voice caused Harry's cheeks to go pink. Of course he wouldn't get lost here.. His guardian was the size of a compact car! Still feeling embarrassed about his silliness, he simply nodded and mumbled something about tripping over an undone shoelace. Hagrid clapped him on the back, which caused Harry to lose his balance. "Le's go, then!" Because of the half-giant's large steps, Harry nearly had to run to keep up, but he was able to wheeze out a few questions about various stands they passed. It was only as he caught a glimpse of the prices on some cauldrons that Harry realized something very important. "Hagrid, how am I supposed to get anything if I don't have any money?" Hagrid chuckled and gestured toward a very large, pristine white building. "Gringotts, o' course!"

Harry did not like the Goblins. They were ugly, rude and greedy little things. In fact, they quite reminded him of his cousin, Dudley. Any time spent inside that bank was too long and he was not looking forward to ever having to come back. When they had arrived at his vault, he filled a pouch with as much money as he could conceivably stuff inside of it, hoping it was enough to last at least through the school year. The Goblin didn't seem at all surprised by the amount of gold he was pocketing, which of course made Harry wonder if he was nearly half as rich as he felt upon staring at the piles of gold within his vault. He didn't know why his parents had been so well off, but he was certainly thankful for the opportunity to get out of Dudley's ridiculous hand-me-downs. A quick trip to a second vault ("Hogwarts business," Hagrid had informed him) and they were out of the bank and back into the bustling Alley once more. From there, the real madness began. "Firs' stop, Inscription!" Hagrid called out cheerfully. If his words hinted at the adventure this shopping trip had in store for them, Harry missed it entirely.

It seemed like they'd been shopping for ages. They started in a relatively normal store as far as school supplies are concerned. Quills, ink, parchment and various other items you'd expect to find on a school shopping list. However, the stores they ventured into next were anything but normal. They had been in cauldron shops, book stores, a shop for wands (which did not go well at all) and a pet shop where he found a beautiful snowy owl. However, Harry was beginning to think the list was never going to end. More importantly, his stomach was being quite vocal about its needs. He vaguely remembered his toast for breakfast and decided he would ask Hagrid if they could stop for a snack, when he ran right into the back of the man. This was, Harry mused, becoming an annoyingly common occurrence today. "You alrigh' there, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he helped the boy to his feet. He gestured at the ice cream shop he'd brought them to. "Could 'ear that grumble a mile away!" he chuckled as Harry nodded and began to make his way to the counter. After ordering a massive sundae (Hagrid insisted he get the largest size, "You could use some meat on yer bones!") they found a table overlooking the Alley. Harry took this opportunity to ask Hagrid as many questions as he could think of about the wizarding world. Mostly, he was curious as to what to expect while at Hogwarts. Later, he vowed, he would ask about his parents.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a very grouchy blonde was dragging his feet behind a slender man as they made their way down the Alley's cobblestone streets. "Sev, I'm tired. Are we done yet?" Draco whined. "Draco, we've only just arrived. Could you at least give me ten minutes before you start complaining? You'd think you'd be happy to be out of that house." Severus drawled. It was plain to see that neither of them truly wished to be there today. Severus had a lot on his mind and Draco, well, he was just being Draco. And if there was one thing Severus knew, it was that you didn't want to be distracted with a needy Draco in tow. The plan was to finish all of his shopping in a survivable thirty minutes. Due to crowds and a few lines, it took them an extra twenty-three minutes to get through Draco's list. Twenty-three minutes of pure, whiny hell. "Alright, Draco. This is our last stop. Please try to behave so that we can get this over with." Severus was nearly begging and they both knew it. So, with a determined look plastered across his face, Draco marched into the robe shop. A light tinkling of a bell alerted one of the clerks to his arrival which only proved to sour his mood further. The clerk was a young woman, no more than twenty, and she was clearly pleased with the customer she had just spotted. After all, a Malfoy meant money, no matter the age. Draco groaned as she squealed with delight, and allowed himself to be led to a pedestal for measurements.

Harry looked at the displays of the robe shop with dismay. "Do we have to wear robes all the time?" he moaned. "'course not! Only fer class 'n special occasions." Hagrid explained as he pushed a slightly relieved Harry through the door. Initially, the clerk wore a look of disappointment upon seeing the two come through the door. If anyone looked poor, it was surely them. Harry followed the clerk to a pedestal next to a rather feminine looking boy. As she measured and made little comments about the state of his wardrobe, Harry studied the boy. There was something very striking about his platinum blonde hair and sharp features. He didn't know why, but something about the boy made him seem very powerful, though it could very well have been that his clothes looked quite expensive. Feeling the weight of the stare, Draco searched for the source. It only took him a moment to spot Harry who was outright staring at this point. Taking in the boy s look of baggy clothes and unkempt hair, Draco figured the boy was merely jealous of his financial standing. "See something you like?" he sneered, just as his father had taught him. Harry, taken aback by the tone, recoiled. "Well, I had thought I'd seen a potential friend, but clearly I was wrong." He looked away before he could see the hurt that ghosted across Draco's face.

The closest Draco had ever come to having a friend, was Dobby. Sure, he had the two goons, but Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were not friends, by any stretch of the imagination. They were simply lackeys that were useful to do Draco's bidding. And Parkinson, well, Pansy just wanted him for breeding purposes. Draco suppressed a shudder at the thought of even hugging the girl, let alone marrying her. And here was this boy, looking near destitute, entertaining the idea of friendship with Draco. His father would be disgusted and certainly very disappointed in him, should he accept this small boy's invitation. But every part of him yearned for a true friend, someone he could talk to and not control. It was this desire to have someone there, which caused him to go against his father's wishes. He turned back to the boy and quietly whispered his apology. "I'm sorry for my tone. Most of the people who talk to me, only do so because of my father. I did not mean to offend you and I would like it greatly if we could start this exchange over. My name is Draco Malfoy, and you are?" Draco looked at the boy, allowing hope to spark behind his storm colored stare.

Harry, taken aback by the sincerity from the boy, eyed him carefully for a moment. His first words had been so cold and yet, here he was now, sounding as if he truly cared what Harry had to say. "It's alright. I'm used to people not being very nice to me. I'm Harry Potter." As his statement reached an end, three things happened in rapid succession. First, he noticed Draco's eyes go wide. Second, the entire store gave a collective gasp and stared at Harry. And lastly, the young witch taking his measurements gasped and lost her balance, causing her to hit Harry very hard in the crotch. Harry fell to the ground, moaning in agony as Draco let forth a string of very foul curse words to the young seamstress for her carelessness as he went to get Severus. "Cast something, Sev. He's hurting! I'm sure you know what it's like.." Draco gasped, winded after running to find the man. As much as it pained Severus to help the son of James Potter, he truly did know the kind of pain the boy was feeling. Casting a quick numbing spell, he watched as Draco helped Harry to his feet. It didn't take long for him to realize that Draco was serious about befriending this boy. If only he knew just how much Lucius would object. Severus, however, could see that this could work to his advantage. If Draco were to be friends with Harry Potter, he would surely not fall into the ranks of the Dark Lord. He smirked and went across the street to get some tea, giving Draco ample time to talk to his new friend.

If Harry had thought Draco was cruel before, that thought had long since gone. As the clerks finished measuring and taking orders, the boys talked. Harry talked about his life as little as possible, which was easy to do since he could see that Draco loved to talk. Draco went on about families, Hogwarts, his manor and even something called a house elf which he had said was named 'Dobby'. They talked about as much as they could for the thirty minutes they had before their robes were completed. Hagrid came back for Harry first, since Severus was still watching the boys from across the way and didn't want to interrupt. Glancing at the time, he realized why Hagrid looked so rushed. If they were going to make it to the train station on time, they needed to be on their way. After draining the rest of his tea, Severus made his way back to Draco. They would be apparating back to the manor to get the rest of Draco's things before heading to the train. Harry and Hagrid, however, would be taking the Knight Bus to the platform. Neither mode of transportation was optimal for a sick boy and one who had eaten just a bit too much hot fudge sundae. Neither guardian was in for a terribly clean journey, but thanks to a little bit of magic, at least it wouldn't leave a stain.

A/N: That's all for this chapter. Things are moving pretty slow, which is kind of how I want it to go, though it will definitely pick up if not next chapter, then definitely the following. I know you guys have been waiting a long time for me to continue with this story and I hope you're not disappointed.


	5. Chapter Four: Hogwarts Express

Title: Clandestine

Rating: T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

Warnings: Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

Chapter Four: Hogwarts Express

The ticket said Platform 9¾. Harry and Hagrid were staring at both platforms 9 and 10, one with confusion and the other with a determined look on his face. "Alrigh' Harry. You wan' a good runnin' start. You can close yer eyes if it'd help." Harry sincerely doubted closing his eyes would help soften the blow of running headlong into a wall. Nevertheless, Harry gripped his luggage cart so tightly that his knuckles went white as he prepared to do one of the dumbest things he had ever let himself be talked into doing. Even with doubt written all over his features, he broke into a run directly toward the solid brick wall between the two platforms. Seconds felt like hours as he waited for the impending collision. Moments later, his cart made contact, sending poor Hedwig toppling onto the sidewalk and Harry directly onto his back. It was the sound of someone groaning besides himself, which caused him to open his eyes.

Beside him was a scarlet train parked beneath a sign that read Platform 9¾. The more alarming sight, however, was the poor kid he'd just taken out with his cart. A taller boy, probably a few years older than Harry, was dramatically groaning as his mother attempted to cast restorative spells over his various wounds. "Would you hold still? I'd have better luck giving the cat a haircut than mending your squirmy self!" Her voice was tired but kind, much like her face. "Well, if he hadn't come barreling through like a maniac, I wouldn't have almost died!" the now fully mended boy wailed. "Oh Fred, you're fine! Don't be such a baby." Her words were met with a groan. "He's George, mum. When will you figure that out?" Fred, obviously George's twin, snapped with disdain. "I should have known since he at least wasn't disrespectful." she growled. Once the family had gotten themselves in order, they all turned to see who had caused the whole mess. Just as the youngest boy (Harry guessed by his small stature) was about to begin mouthing off to Harry about being so stupid, Hagrid crossed onto the platform. Any argument the boy may have had died at the sight of the large man. Knowing he was getting many stares and feeling more than a little uncomfortable, Hagrid quietly instructed Harry to board the train and that he would see him at Hogwarts. And just like that, he was gone. Harry muttered a quick apology to George before hurrying onto the steaming train.

Finding a place to sit was proving to be much more difficult than he had imagined, however. It seemed to Harry that everyone here already knew who they would be sitting with. And if they didn't know who they would be sitting with, they at least knew who they shouldn't be sitting with. Unfortunately for Harry, Hagrid would not answer those questions. He had told Harry that who he became friends with was his choice to make and that he should let nobody else choose for him. It was with this in mind that he chose to look for the friendliest face he could find. And then he heard someone yell from a few cabins down. "Bloody hell, Draco. Keep your sick over there, will you?" The name was one Harry recognized, but the voice though male, was unfamiliar. Harry slowly crept down the aisle, hoping he could sneak a peek inside. He was just passing by a car when he heard his name being called. "Harry! Do you need a place to sit?" The voice was Draco's. He had misjudged where the initial voice had come from, but couldn't help but smile at the boy. He remembered me! As he sat down, he noticed the other occupants of the cabin. A rather unattractive blonde girl who couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Draco, was seated beside a dark skinned boy who very well could have passed for a female had Harry not been warned prior. Also in the cabin were two very large boys, though not quite as large as Dudley. They looked dumb as could be which is exactly how Draco had described them. So he figured they wouldn't bring much to the conversation.

A gasp made him realize he hadn't said a word nor had he even been paying attention to the conversation around him. "You're the Harry Potter?" the girl, who he had now figured was Pansy Parkinson, squealed at him. "Guilty." was all he could come up with as he shrugged. Crabbe and Goyle however just stared at him with their mouths hanging open. "Would you two close your mouths, you look ridiculous." Draco drawled. At Draco's statement, the others realized how foolish they were acting and normal conversation resumed. A low voice interrupted their conversation, his voice laced with venom. "It would figure that the careless git who hit my brother would be friends with the snakes. I'll be sure to let George know who you really are so that he doesn't waste his time trying to get a proper apology." And with that, Fred was gone. "What was his deal?" Blaise sneered in the direction Fred had just gone. Harry, rather embarrassed, proceeded to recount the events that took place on the platform. After a few choice comments from the others about the "dirty Weasels", they went on to explain the various social standings to Harry and all the reasons he should hope to be in Slytherin. Harry of course listened intently to any information he was given about Hogwarts, regardless of how biased it may be.

From what he had been told, he knew he wasn't devoted enough to his friends to be a Hufflepuff, since he'd hardly had any practice being a friend at all. He also knew he probably wasn't smart enough for Ravenclaw, since the school he had attended thus far was dreadful to say the least. With a little more thought, he realized he wasn't brave or noble like a Gryffindor and he definitely wasn't sneaky, sinister and willing to do whatever it takes to get by enough to fit in with Slytherin. All in all, Harry was becoming increasingly nervous that he wouldn't be sorted into any house at all. He didn't dare tell his newfound friends that though. He just quietly listened to their conversations about what it will be like to be a Slytherin and the pranks they would pull on the self-righteous Gryffindors. He knew one thing for certain though and that was his friendship with Draco was something he was going to treasure. He didn't care much for the others present, but for his first true friend, he was thoroughly pleased.

A few hours later, Harry was startled awake by a gentle shaking of his knee. At first, he was alarmed that Fred had come back to show him why he shouldn't mess with his family, but then he noticed the kind expression. "George? What-" but a finger held up silenced him. George beckoned for Harry to follow and after a moment's hesitation, he got up and followed the boy to an empty cabin. Several minutes earlier, George had apparently convinced the occupants of a cabin to leave for a short time to give the boys some privacy. Upon learning they were alone, Harry tensed as he waited for the older boy to strike him. Much to his surprise, the redhead began to apologize for his brother's behavior. Needless to say, Harry was confused. He had hurt this boy and yet he was the one being apologized to. He didn't know what to do, so he just silently waited for the boy to finish.

Once George had gone quiet, Harry spoke up. "I understand your brother being a little over-protective, but I don't see why you are apologizing to me for it. If anything, I should have been unloading the world's best apology to you. I nearly killed you!" Harry was speaking quickly and his voice had gone up a couple octaves by the end of his outburst. George however, just chuckled. He found the small boy's honesty endearing and couldn't help but feel drawn in by him. "Harry, you didn't come remotely close to killing me. Honestly, it was just a few bumps and bruises. I was only putting on so much of a show to drive Mum crazy. She really hates it when we act like we're only four." Here, he winked at Harry before continuing. "Why don't we just call it even, then? I forgive you for stampeding into me with your luggage and we can both pretend my idiot brother hasn't opened his mouth where it's not needed. Deal?" Harry gave the older boy a tentative smile as he nodded. At his agreement, a wide grin broke out across the redhead's face. Harry noticed how this made his bright blue eyes sparkle, giving the boy a very welcoming and comforting look. He immediately felt at ease and wondered silently to himself if perhaps he could have a friend in George as well.

The conversation carried on for a short while until the occupants of the cabin returned. Harry was disappointed that their talking had to be cut short, but George assured him that it wouldn't be the last time. Dragging his feet as he passed through the doors, Harry entertained the thought of going with George back to his cabin, however that quickly passed when he realized that Fred was probably already there. Sighing in defeat, Harry returned to the cabin with his sleeping friends. Perhaps he could get back to sleep, though he truly doubted that would happen. As he sat down, he felt a vibration in his pocket. Alarmed, he slapped a hand over his mouth to keep from crying out. It would do no good to wake the other students and besides, he wasn't sure he had a valid reason for doing so. Gingerly reaching into his pocket, his hand met a bit of parchment. He pulled it out to investigate and nearly laughed. It was a note from George.

"Harry, this is a special bit of parchment that Fred and I invented. If you hold it and think of what you want to say, the twin piece of parchment will receive the message. Give it a try. – George"

Harry decided to give it a try.

"Why did you give this to me? - Harry" was all he could think to say.

"I told you that it wouldn't be the last time we spoke. But I'll bet you didn't believe me. This way, we can talk whenever we like and Fred doesn't have to know. Malfoy shouldn't really be told either, if you want to know the truth. We're not exactly the best of friends. But that's enough about that. Get some sleep. We'll be arriving in a couple hours and you have a big night ahead. – George"

Harry wasn't exactly happy about having to stop, but he knew George was right. Just that afternoon Hagrid had warned Harry that first years go through the sorting ceremony on the first night, not to mention it would be his first meal in the Great Hall with every student in the school present. If there was one thing Harry hated, it was big crowds. And to make matters even worse, it would appear that this particular big crowd knew more about Harry Potter than he knew about himself. His fears about not being sorted into any house at all, coupled with the stares and whispers he was sure to attract caused Harry to lose any hope he may have had of sleeping. He started silently out the window, watching the trees whip by in the darkness. Thirty minutes from their destination, he finally gave in to the lull of the train's movements and dozed off. As the moonlight shone through his window, it illuminated the small bit of parchment clutched tightly in his left hand.

A/N: Yep! Little Harry has another new friend! I don't expect the chapters to come quite as quickly as this one did, but I would like to at least update once a week if I can. As always, read and review. Suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism are always loved!


	6. Chapter Five: The Sorting

Title: Clandestine

Rating: T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

Warnings: Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

Chapter Five: The Sorting

It was gross. Horrifying, even. The very thought of seeing what lay beneath Pansy's robes nearly turned Draco's stomach. He couldn't bear staying in the cabin while she changed into her school clothes. He would rather strip naked in front of the whole Gryffindor house than be subjected to her body. He had to get out and fast. Muttering something about needing the restroom, Draco bolted out of the cabin toward the rear of the car. Once safely in the restroom, he sighed heavily and quickly changed into his own clothes. Harry was understandably confused by Draco's quick exit, thought he didn't dare ask any questions. He simply shrugged his black school robes on and watched as the train pulled into the station. He didn't say a word as Draco slipped back into the cabin nor did he even pull his gaze from the window.

As the students filed onto the platform, Harry couldn't help but to search for George among the crowd. Hagrid's deep voice bellowing for the first years to follow him caused the search to be cut short, however. "'Ello there, Harry." The half-giant greeted him jovially. "This way then!" he hollered to the rest of the students as they made their way to a mass of boats floating on the surface of an inky lake. The darkness was only illuminated by small lamps on each of the boats as the children slowly made their way across. The short ride gave Harry a few minutes to get a quick look at the lumbering silhouette of the castle. Perched on a cliffside, Harry marveled at the sheer size of the school. It seemed to go on for miles, though he could only guess in the darkness. All too soon, they arrived at the base of the great castle and began their trek to the Great Hall.

Harry was suddenly nervous again and cast furtive glances at the surrounding students to see if they shared his feeling of dread. He saw a young girl burst into tears and immediately felt bad for her, though he had to admit it was comforting that someone else was just as scared as he was. Even with Draco at his side, Harry felt very alone. Most of the children from longstanding families knew what to expect in great detail. Harry didn't have such luxury, though he noticed that most of the ones mirroring his emotions were from non-magical families. After a few long moments of waiting, the doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing the worn face of a rather old woman. Harry thought she looked very grandmotherly, though this did nothing to ease his fears. She beckoned them inside with a nod, gesturing toward the front of the hall with her hands.

"Form a line and you will be called upon alphabetically." Her voice sounded as aged as her face though it had a certain stern edge to it. Harry sighed with relief as he realized there would be a good number of students being called before him, perhaps giving him time to compose himself. At the front of the hall, the students in the line were beginning to chatter excitedly. Harry leaned left and right, trying hard to get a glimpse of what they were all seeing. However, he was much too far back to make out anything but the staff table. It didn't take long for word to spread to the end of the line though. People were going on about.. a hat? Harry was confused and thought he'd misunderstood for a moment. And then it came to him. _The sorting hat! _That explained all the commotion and managed to send Harry's heartbeat into overdrive. He felt vaguely like he was going to be sick. Swallowing rapidly and counting backwards from one hundred, he began to feel a bit more calm by the time he had reached somewhere around forty. It was at this point that he heard the woman speak again.

"My name is Professor McGonagall. Due to a little bit of attitude, there will be no song from the sorting hat this year." Here, she glared pointedly at the hat sitting atop the stool. "When I call your name, you will take a seat and I will place the hat upon your head. It will then place you within one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin." As she listed off the houses, she had to raise her voice to be heard over the cheers from each table. And then the list began with a small girl ("Abbott, Hannah!") being sorted into Hufflepuff. At times, the hat took a while to call out a house and other times it was near instantaneous. Harry noticed that families tended to be sorted into the same house and wondered silently where his own parents had been sorted. He knew it would do no good for him to dwell on such thoughts and busy himself with looking for his friend.

Glancing around the hall, he found George sitting beside his twin and offered a small wave in his direction. George beamed and waved back which helped to calm Harry's nerves, though he almost fainted when he realized they had already reached the letter M on the list. He watched both curious and fascinated, as Draco approached the hat and took a seat. The hat had only brushed the few stray hairs atop his head before yelling out. "SLYTHERIN!" and with a smug grin, he made his way to the cheering Slytherin table. Pulling his eyes from the table, Harry felt the subtle vibration in his pocket. He hadn't realized it at first, but he had been gripping the bit of parchment in his hand as his thoughts turned to George. _Please don't hate me if I'm in Slytherin. Please don't hate me if I'm in Slytherin._ As he pulled the parchment from his pocket, he heard his name being called. He made his way to the stool, wincing as the hat was placed on his head. A voice in his ear made him jump and the laughter which followed sounded humorless and hollow. Some more whispers, none really making any sense, and then he heard it. "Check the note." It was the hat, he was sure of it. "Check the note so that I may make a proper decision. Your mind is much too preoccupied." Astonished that the hat knew of the parchment, Harry did as he was told. Immediately, he breathed a sigh of relief as a small smile touched his lips.

"A house is but a house amongst true friends. If you do not turn against me for being a Gryffindor, then I will not judge you for being a Slytherin. – George"

It only took but a moment of slight indecision for the hat before it called out Harry's new destination. "SLYTHERIN!" As he made his way to the cheering Slytherin table, the whispers and stares followed him. The words that reached his ears were both good and bad in nature, though a substantial number of people appeared to be surprised. From what he could gather, Gryffindor thought they would get the great Harry Potter, not Slytherin. As he sat down beside Draco and the rest of his new house, Harry felt a twinge of worry. Was this truly the right place for him? How did this scrap of material know he should be here when he thought he'd heard it tell him his parents had been in Gryffindor? However, he did not let his confusion show as there was plenty of time to dwell on things later when he could be alone. As Blaise Zabini joined them at the table, Harry watched with unabashed wonder as the tables all began to fill with food. After a steady diet of water and dry sandwiches, any food was a welcome change.

Ten minutes later, Draco was watching Harry out of the corner of his eye. He had seen how Harry had quickly started wolfing the food down as if it would disappear. Judging from the clothes he had seen the boy in when they met in the robe shop, Draco could imagine he didn't have much money. However, a small tug at the back of his mind told him there was more to it than this. He would try to find out later, once they were away from prying eyes. If there was one thing Draco knew, it was the importance of having someone to confide in. He just hoped he could prove more insightful than Dobby had. Draco, it seemed, wasn't the only one who noticed Harry's literal take on 'Dig in'. George watched the raven haired boy from across the hall, concern etched into his normally relaxed features. His line of thought nearly ran even with Draco's as he vowed to talk to Harry about what he'd witnessed. He knew, however, that it would take some gentle prodding. After all, new friend or not, nobody liked having their personal life pried into.

Harry was blissfully ignorant to the inner monologue of the two boys as he continued to eat his weight in roast beef and potatoes. He would have willing accepted any food sent his way, but this food was as delicious as it looked. It was only as the beginnings of food induced exhaustion set in, that he noticed the glances coming his way from his friends. Blushing to his hairline, Harry refused to make eye contact with either of them, choosing instead to glance up at the headmaster. It was at that moment that the man chose to stand and address the hall. "All of you have a big day tomorrow and big days are best met with plenty of rest. Though most of you will choose to stay up far later than you should to socialize with your new housemates, keep this in mind: A ready mind is a rested mind. Prefects, if you would." And with that, he took his seat and the prefects sprang to action. Each was shouting louder than the other, attempting to create order amongst their housemates as they herded everyone toward their dormitories.

Harry followed silently, his mind quieted by the food and the only thing he wanted to do now was sleep. A yawn overtook him as they entered the dungeons and Draco decided that their talk could wait until tomorrow. For now, it looked as if Harry could use a night of sleep in a real bed as there's no telling what he'd been sleeping on before. If only he knew.

A/N: I had a little bit of inner turmoil about which house to stick Harry in, but I feel like I've made the right choice for where I want to go. I know this is shaping up to look suspiciously like a Harry/George story, but I'm doing my very best to keep it from heading that way. They're just good friends, promise! As always, read and review. I appreciate the feedback. :]


	7. Chapter Six: A Little Understanding

Title: Clandestine

Rating: T (or PG-13 whichever you prefer to follow). Rated for language and certain content.

Warnings: Slash (Boys/Boys & possibly Girls/Girls but not likely) and Bad writing ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the story that you recognize, those are all the property of J.K. Rowling. :) So please no suing! Storyline and all original characters are mine. :)

Clandestine

Chapter Six: A Little Understanding

Harry woke with a start, the unfamiliar surroundings causing him to hyperventilate. More than once, the Dursley's had carried Harry off after drugging him the night before, so waking up in a strange place meant he immediately started checking for injuries. It took a few moments for him to regain his bearings and the previous day's events came rushing back to him. Suddenly, he felt very foolish and looked around at the sleeping forms beside him. He only hoped that none of the other boys in his dorm had witnessed his near panic attack. Checking the time, he realized he had woken up with an hour to spare.

Realizing it would probably take him a while to retrace his steps to the Great Hall, he decided getting ready early would probably be in his best interest. The first thing he did was run himself a hot shower, relishing in the ability to soak in the searing water for nearly forty-five minutes, something he never could have done at the Dursley's. All of his showers in their house had been no more than five minutes and even then they were yelling for him to hurry up. Dudley and Vernon were notorious for using every last bit of hot water (if you were the size of a small vehicle, you would as well!), leaving Harry to get accustomed to not only painfully short showers, but freezing cold ones as well. As he shut the water off, he realized he could have had hot water forever, without it running cold. It was one thing about his new school that he already appreciated, aside from the food and fluffy bed.

As he finished getting dressed and fighting with his unruly hair, the rest of the boys began to stir and get ready. Harry, finally having given up on taming the mess upon his head, had nothing left to do and so began his trek to the Great Hall for breakfast. On his way, he only managed to get lost once and narrowly missed Peeves by ducking behind a suit of armor. Hagrid had warned him about the poltergeist and his pranks, so Harry was going to make sure he stayed out of the way whenever he could. As Harry pushed the doors open, most of the Hall fell silent. And as he made his way to the Slytherin table, the whispers and chatter began just as it had the previous night. Ignoring the dull roar around him, he found his seat and refused to look up from his plate. He was staring so hard at his scrambled eggs that he didn't notice Draco approach and nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"You alright, Harry?" Draco questioned with concern evident in his tone. Harry simply nodded, making sure his mouth was full of egg so he wouldn't have to answer. The truth was that Harry had no idea why so many people kept staring at him and whispering as he passed by. Even just his name being mentioned sent people into a tizzy and this made Harry terribly uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about how he couldn't handle a little bit of attention with his new friend, though. He didn't want Draco, or anyone else for that matter, thinking he was a baby. So he just continued munching on his bacon and toast, staring at nothing in particular along the back wall. This continued until they received their schedules after which Harry had something new to worry about. Classes were something Harry had not entirely given any thought to and now he was nervous. After all, he had no idea about the magical world and what he was going to have to learn. He hadn't even had any time to peek into his books and see what some of the subjects were. Glancing down at his schedule, he saw that his first stop was Transfiguration. After letting Draco know he was headed to class early, he set off toward the halls.

Harry found the classroom much quicker than he thought he would, arriving nearly twenty minutes earlier than he had intended. However, he quietly took a seat near the middle of the classroom and pulled out his book. He had been reading for only a few minutes when a voice startled him, causing his book to topple onto the floor. "Alright, Harry? I didn't mean to frighten you." Harry glanced up at George's smiling face and was instantly relieved. "It's fine. I just hadn't really expected anyone else to be here yet." He quietly wondered if Fred was nearby as he had hardly seen the two separated. Noticing Harry's preoccupied glances, George sighed inwardly. "He's not here yet. He saw me get up after you left and had the sense to not follow. One of my brother's more logical moments, I assure you." He sighed again at the thought of his brother and how he'd been acting. Pushing the thought from his mind, George turned back to Harry. He knew that if he was going to ask about Harry's home life, it had to be soon and while they were alone. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts and then took a seat across from the raven haired boy.

"Harry, is it alright if I ask you something kind of personal?" He looked at the boy, hoping he wouldn't object. Harry glanced up, confused as to what direction the conversation was taking. However, he trusted George, so he simply nodded and gave him his full attention. Whatever he had been expecting, what came next certainly was not it. "Is.. everything alright at home? I don't mean to be nosey, but I couldn't help noticing how you nearly attacked dinner last night and it just seemed like I should ask." George bit his lip, praying that he hadn't crossed a line. Harry, however, was immediately mortified. He knew that his face must have been turning scarlet because it certainly felt like it was getting hot. What was he supposed to say to a question like that? Should he lie and say that his home life was fine and that he'd just been very hungry after a long day where he'd missed lunch? Or did he tell George the truth about the Dursley's and his life in a cupboard with very little nutrition? As much as he trusted the boy in front of him, he also knew better than to divulge all of his secrets at one time. Choosing his words carefully, he caught George's eye and simply shook his head as he answered. "Perhaps we could talk about this another time. I don't feel comfortable talking about such subjects with someone I barely know." Seeing the hurt cloud George's expression, Harry pressed on. "This isn't to say I don't trust you or even that I don't like you. Because I do like you and I think you're going to be a great friend. But some things, you just don't talk about right out the gate. All that matters right now is that I'm here and I believe that is what we should be focusing on." He lightly patted George's arm and gave him an encouraging smile. "Please believe me, when and if the time is right, you'll know."

George knew he wasn't going to get any answers just yet, so he opted to let it go for now. Like Harry had said, he'd tell when the time was right. Silently kicking himself for not putting up a fight, George leaned in and gave Harry a quick hug. Just before pulling away, he whispered, "I will wait then. But please remember, you can always come to me if you need to talk. It doesn't even have to be in person." As a means of proving his statement, he touched the parchment in his pocket.

"I'm always here. – George"

Just outside the door, Draco stood listening to the conversation taking place. He wasn't at all happy about Harry's friendship with George, but he knew what it was like to bond with someone unexpected. He would hold his tongue for now, as long as George didn't become a threat to Harry. Besides, he could clearly see that the older boy was just as concerned about Harry's life as he was. The conversation they'd just had was the very same one Draco had followed Harry to the classroom for. Knowing he would get the same response if he asked Harry later, he opted to wait. He would approach Harry another day since he'd already been cornered about it once. One thing he knew for sure, however, was that he would make certain that anyone who hurt Harry would feel the pain tenfold. It was time, he knew, to do a little bit of digging into Harry's muggle life. Feeling that he had enough time to spare, Draco raced to the dungeons to see his godfather. If anyone could give a little bit of insight into the muggles Harry had been living with, it'd be Severus.

An hour later, Transfiguration was over and Harry was truly amazed. He had no idea that you could take something like a quill and turn it into a potted plant. Not that he could foresee a possible reason for needing that particular ability, but any number of other combinations seemed infinitely useful in Harry's eyes. He could tell the classes would be difficult, but he was eager to learn about anything the magical school had to offer. Next on his schedule just so happened to be Potions, much to the dismay of the Gryffindors. Pansy also did her fair share of whining about having not just one, but two classes with the 'sniveling, noble spawn'. Harry had not yet witnessed the house rivalries to their full extent, though the lines were certainly drawing themselves up rather quickly. He quietly made his way to the dungeons as he listened to Draco chatter about being taught by his godfather. It was also on the walk to the classroom that he learned Professor Snape would be his head of house. He figured it would be in his best interest to not get on the man's bad side.

There was nothing welcoming about Professor Snape or his classroom. A man dressed in a full-length robe that was the same inky black color as his greasy shoulder-length hair and a sneer that could make Aunt Petunia tremble, spending all of his time in a dreary, dark and damp dungeon full of bubbling cauldrons filled with various colored substances to serve any multitude of purposes. The contents of the cauldrons and the rather eerie looking man both intrigued and disgusted Harry, though he tried not to dwell on either for very long. He took his seat beside Draco who had nearly begged him not to let Pansy sit next to him in any classes and again began studying his textbook. The ingredients for some of the potions were things Harry had never heard of in his life, let alone where to get them. Sure, the shop they visited in Diagon Alley had a multitude of herbs, oils and various other ingredients but he knew that some of these were not available there. As if to prove his memory correct, the book called for certain ingredients to be freshly gathered from specific locations and even at specific times. Collect a mushroom from a headstone when the moon was waxing? Harry couldn't even begin to figure out what 'waxing' meant in regards to the moon. It was clear he had a lot to learn but he wasn't sure how well he was going to be able to when the smell alone of some of these potions that the professor had brewing was making his stomach turn.

As class began, three girls lost five house points from Gryffindor for talking which caused the smallest to burst into tears prompting the professor to take five more points for her being a disruption. Had they not feared the professor would take more house points away, Harry was sure some of them would have groaned in dismay at their misfortune. He remained quiet, not wanting to put his own house in the same boat, though he quickly learned he had nothing to fear. Professor Snape, it seemed, was very biased against the Gryffindors and favored his dear Slytherins enough to let them get away with nearly anything. A clear example was when Draco caused a boy's cauldron to explode (Neville Longbottom, if Harry heard correctly) and didn't receive so much as a reproachful glare. The poor Gryffindor (who was covered from head to foot in nasty looking boils) was sent to the Hospital Wing after costing his house ten more points, bringing the total points for Gryffindor to a staggering negative twenty. Harry felt a twinge of sympathy for them as he packed up his belongings and wondered idly if they would be able to catch back up from such a devastating blow to their standings in the race for the House Cup. He decided he would ask around later to find out how this kind of thing worked in great detail, but until then, it was time for lunch and he was starving.

Harry thought the stares and whispers would have subsided by lunch, but of course they hadn't. If anything, they seemed to have grown louder as the day stretched on. He noticed that a majority of the voices sounded female which of course caused him to quickly try and pat down his hair. He knew it was a waste of time however and moved on to the food sitting before him, making sure he ate at a normal pace to appease any watchful eyes. After several minutes of carefully slowed eating, a scarlet envelope being carried in by an owl caught his attention. Curious as to why everyone was pointing at it and murmuring, he followed the owl's path as it dropped the envelope in front of someone seated at the Gryffindor table. After some careful leaning, Harry saw that the recipient was none other than Fred Weasley. Harry couldn't help the feeling that Fred deserved the look of shock and fear that crossed his face as he stared at the envelope in his salad. His brothers looked on in fascination, wondering what Fred had done. Harry however, didn't know what the scarlet envelope (was it steaming?) even meant. It didn't take long for someone to nudge Fred's arm as they frantically whispered to him. Nodding gravely, Fred gingerly tore open the envelope and the sound that filled the hall next was an earsplitting yell. Harry clapped his hands over his ears which helped take off some of the volume of the shrieking, though he could still hear the message perfectly.

"Fredrick Fabian Weasley!" the voice screeched. "How _could_ you be such an embarrassment? That young man has so much on his plate and he certainly doesn't need _you_ being downright cruel to him! I thought your father and I raised you to be a respectable gentleman, not some common ne'er-do-well who can't show even a _shred_ of civility! You _will_ learn to treat Harry Potter with respect or you will have a whole lot more to worry about than a howler!" and with that, the envelope burst into flames. The silence that overtook the hall was deafening, more so than the screeching of the woman's voice, for one simple reason; every head in the hall had swiveled to face Harry, except Fred's. Harry thought, with a sinking feeling, that Mrs. Weasley had just caused the rift between the two boys to become even deeper. He quickly made his exit from the hall as the chatter started up again, tripping over his feet as he ran to the Charms classroom. He didn't even stop when he took out a poor Hufflepuff boy, though he did call a rather hasty "Sorry!" over his shoulder. Once he arrived at the classroom, he fell into his seat and covered his face with his hands. As helpful as she was trying to be, Harry really did not need the added pressure of _other_ people's parents looking after his wellbeing. As she said, he had enough on his plate as it was though he was sure she had no idea just what his plate was holding.

As the day came to an end without much else by the way of excitement, Harry finished his dinner and headed back to the dormitories alone. Today had not been a very good day and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed and try to forget it even happened. The moment his head hit the pillow, Harry heard the telltale vibration on his nightstand. Picking up the parchment to see what it said, Harry didn't know whether to smile or groan at the message.

"Just because you eat slower doesn't mean I don't notice you nearly put away two plates worth of food. I'm young Harry, but I'm not quite that stupid. – George"

"Perhaps I thought it would be my last meal since Fred is surely going to kill me while I sleep or at the very least, before breakfast rolls around. – Harry"

"Mum means well, I'm sure you know. Percy wrote her a letter telling her how Fred had been acting and she just lost her top is all. Fred won't kill you, though he is in a bit of a foul mood. He'll get over it though because he knows he's being watched now. He will still hate you, but he'll keep it to himself. – George"

"That is only mildly comforting, you know. I don't even know what I did to turn him against me. It's not like I ran into you with any malicious intent, it was only an accident! – Harry"

"You and I both know it was, as does Fred. He's just not happy about your choice in friends and especially displeased with your house. He's been telling me that I shouldn't be friends with a Slytherin which I knew would happen as soon as he saw you get sorted. But the thing about Fred is that he isn't terribly understanding of how people are. He gives into the stereotypes presented to him, though I have to admit it's hard not to in this school. The blanket opinions given about each house tend to hold true for the most part. Slytherins are deceptive and sneaky, Hufflepuff are only really good at being friends, Ravenclaw are almost always very book smart and Gryffindor are brave enough to stare a dragon in the eye. That's not to say all of them are that way, but a good number of them truly are. – George"

"I understand what you mean, since I've noticed a lot of it myself. I just worry that perhaps I should have asked the Hat to put me in a different house. It wanted to put me into Gryffindor nearly as much as it wanted Slytherin, but I knew that Draco probably wouldn't have wanted to be my friend if I wasn't a Slytherin. You had said you'd be understanding of it and that was all I needed to make my decision. But I can't help but wonder if I've made the wrong choice. I don't think anybody I've met, students and faculty alike, believe I belong in this house. I've heard the outraged bickering of the older Gryffindors going on about how I should have been where my parents were when they attended the school. Did I make the wrong choice? – Harry"

"Those older students want you in their house because you're a celebrity in the wizarding world. As for you making the wrong choice? I can't decide that for you, Harry. Would I enjoy if you were in Gryffindor with me? Of course I would. But my brother Charlie tells me that everything happens for a reason. It took me a long time to believe it, but I think I understand now. Did you know that you just missed Fred by less than a second when you came through that barrier? He had just run off to see his girlfriend as you came through and hit me. For a while, I thought his anger toward you was a feeling of guilt that I had been hit and not him. But I realized that he knew I wanted to talk to you, since I'd made that much clear while in our cabin, and so he became angry that someone was pulling me from him. All our lives, we've been best friends and then you came along and jeopardized that. So he's lashing out, or was anyway at what he views as the loss of the bond we have shared. I've been trying to explain to him that he's not being replaced, but it's not going over so well. Just have faith, Harry. I believe you are meant to be in whatever house the Hat wanted to place you in and for some reason that neither of us have yet figured out, we are meant to be friends. – George"

"I have to take your word for it, unfortunately. Not that I don't think your word is worth anything, I just feel that Fred will not give up so easily. But I'll worry about it another day, I guess. Right now, I'm exhausted after dealing with all of the excitement of today and I think I'll try and get some sleep. And George.. Thank you. I really appreciate you being there for me. – Harry"

"Goodnight, Harry. And don't worry, I'm always here. – George"

Harry put the parchment in his bedside drawer with a smile. Draco hadn't been around very much today for Harry to talk to, but he was glad that George was there to confide in. Cocooning himself in his blankets, Harry drifted off to sleep with a small smile still touching his lips.

At the other end of the dungeons, however, Draco Malfoy was headed toward his godfather's office once more with a determined look set on his face. He may not have gotten answers last time they spoke, but this time would be different if he had anything to say about it.

A/N: Next chapter, you'll see Draco confronting Severus about Harry. I hope you all have a little bit of understanding as to why Fred is so rotten right now, though I'm not asking you to show him any sympathy! As always, leave a review with any comments, suggestions, and complaints as I absolutely love hearing from my readers. After all, without you guys, I have no reason to continue!


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